THE CHIMNEY SWEEPS

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Nationally, chimney fires accounted for more than 7,000 incidents dealt with by fire and rescue services between April 2014 and March 2015.

Fire services recommend that your chimney is swept on a regular basis, with more frequent sweeping advised for particular kinds of fires.

This is how often your chimney should be swept:

Smokeless coal use once a year.

Wood up to four times a year.

Standard coal twice a year.

Carbon Monoxide which is odourless and cannot be smelt or seen and can enter into the propertyundected.The function of
sweeping the flues and chimneys is to remove the deposits such as dust
and tar that build up when the burning of carbon-based fuels occur, such
as wood or coal. Residues from burning fuel, sticks to the inner wall of
the chimney or fluecalled creosote, it is highly combustible . If the
wood burner is difficult to start or smoke puffs out when the door is
opened, then the chimney is probably clogged with soot and needs to be
swept.

Sweeping
also ensures the safe removal of obstructions that may have lodged
inside the chimney or flue, such as bird’s nests, cobwebs, debris from
collapsed flues (loose bricks etc). Blocked chimneys will not allow
toxic and dangerous gases to escape such as carbon Monoxide. If it is not safe to use, then a report will be given stating its condition and attention that is needed.

Responsibility for the maintenance of chimneys:Any
person that uses flued appliances has a responsibility to maintain the
appliance and flue. It is often stated that people should take
reasonable care within the terms of thierhousehold insurance policies and in
the instance of thatched properties, the frequency of sweeping required
is often specified by the insurers. Landlords have a duty of care to
their tenants, always keep the certificate safe as it will be useful for
insurance purposes when selling your home, or letting your property. New Home? When was the chimney last cleaned? Put your mind at rest now.GETITCLEANED

Main Causes of Chimney Fires:Infrequent sweeping and cleaning. 2. Burning unseasoned wet wod. 3. Improper appliance sizing. Overnight burning or smouldering wood for long periods of time in wood stoves.